Will we lose yet another gay space? Or, will another gay-friendly business person take over?
According to the Daily Voice, the Trevi Lounge in Fairfield, Connecticut is up for sale. The business’s owners, Katia Capozziello and her family, have placed the establishment on a listing on three businesses-for-sale sites including BizBuySell.com.
The Trevi Lounge has only been standing since 2013, but it has become a mainstay for LGBTQ people within the area. Part of that is due to it being the only LGBTQ-focused establishment for the surrounding area, according to the Fairfield County Business Journal. Before that, the 71-year-old Cedar Brook Café, the nation’s oldest continuously operating LGBTQ bar, closed down in 2010. With the additional closing of Danbury’s Triangles In 2015, the Trevi Lounge is essential in its existence.
“It is pretty much the only business around that’s open at night time, so we have to use the parking lots from Home Depot across the street and Edge Fitness next door,” said Capozziello to the Fairfield Country Business Journal in 2018.
Even now, with its ownership in flux, the bar is open and providing space for LGTBQ locales. While maintaining COVID-19 safety measures, the bar is serving drinks like many other establishments nationwide. The property has two pool tables, a DJ booth, a dance floor, a fully stocked bar, a full-size kitchen, a private patio, and parking.
With the bar’s influence and importance, it would be a mistake to see any future owners flip the business away from its gay roots. But with so many gay bars closing nation and worldwide, it’s not wrong to worry about the Trevi Lounge’s future. We hope the Cappozziello family picks a new owner that’s committed to supporting the LGBTQ community just as much as they were.
